Wenn die Sonne scheint, werden unsere Kleider schnell trocken.

(When the sun shines, our clothes dry quickly.)

Breakdown of Wenn die Sonne scheint, werden unsere Kleider schnell trocken.

• schnell: quickly
• die Sonne: the sun
• trocken: dry
• scheinen: to shine
• werden: to become
• unsere: our
• die Kleider: the clothes

Questions & Answers about Wenn die Sonne scheint, werden unsere Kleider schnell trocken.

Why is scheint at the end of the subordinate clause Wenn die Sonne scheint?

In German, the subordinating conjunction wenn requires the conjugated verb to be placed at the end of its clause. That is why scheint appears at the end of Wenn die Sonne scheint.

Why do we use werden instead of a simple verb like trocknen in the main clause (werden unsere Kleider schnell trocken)?

In this sentence, werden is used to indicate a change of state. Literally, it can be translated as become. So the idea is our clothes become dry quickly, rather than our clothes dry, placing the emphasis on the process of getting dry.

What is the function of schnell in this sentence?

Schnell is an adverb describing how quickly the clothes become dry. Adverbs in German usually come before the adjective or verb they modify—in this case, before trocken.

What is the difference between trocken and trocknen?

Trocken is an adjective meaning dry, describing a state or condition. Trocknen, on the other hand, is a verb meaning to dry. In the sentence, we use trocken (an adjective) to describe how the clothes become.

Why is die Sonne used instead of another article?

Sonne is a feminine noun in German, so its definite article is die. German nouns are always associated with a specific grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), and Sonne is feminine.